The present invention relates to a molding mounting assembly for an ornamental molding for covering over a gap between the periphery of a vehicle window glass and a window frame of a vehicle body, and to a molding clip used for fastening the molding.
Generally, in order to provide improved vehicle appearance and prevent rainwater or the like from entering in a gap between a vehicle window glass and a window frame of a vehicle body, an elongated ornamental molding is mounted along the periphery of the window glass to cover over the gap. Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 56-27110 discloses a plastic support member (clip) including a forked clamping portion for clamping the edge of a window glass, and a projecting portion extending from the clamping portion to the sidewall of a vehicle body, wherein the edge of an ornamental molding is brought into engagement with the projecting portion extending from the edge of the window glass, so as to mount the ornamental molding with covering a gap between the periphery of the window glass and a window frame of the vehicle body. This support member provides a simplified mounting operation as well as its simple structure. However, the mounting position can be undesirably moved because the support member is fixed to the window glass in a clamping manner. Specifically, the error in dimension of the window glass causes some displacement of the support member even if the error is minor, and this displacement can lead to inappropriate mounting position of the molding. Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 03-52217 discloses a molding base member (clip) attached to and along the periphery of a window glass in an interfitting manner and formed with a clamping portion for clamping a downward extending support portion of a molding to mount the molding on the window glass. This molding mounting assembly provides a simplified mounting operation, but needs to prepare the molding base member having a configuration conformable to the periphery of the window glass and then interfit the molding base member into and along the periphery of the window glass.
Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Publication No. 04-90418 discloses a mounting structure including an ornamental molding referred to as a molding-shaped gasket integrally formed on and entirely along the periphery of a window glass, and a clip integrally fixed to the molding, wherein the clip is fixed to a window frame of a vehicle body to mount the window glass to the vehicle body. According to this mounting structure, in addition to the window glass, the ornamental molding can be mounted to the window frame by fixing the clip to the window frame. However, the configuration of the ornamental molding is not simple because the molding is essentially formed integrally on the window glass. Differently from the case of integrally forming a simple molding, forming dies for the ornamental molding becomes complicated, and such complicated forming dies lead to troublesome processing and maintenance. Thus, it is undesirable to form the ornamental molding integrally on the window glass.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a molding mounting assembly and a molding clip capable of securely fixing the ornamental molding separated from a window glass, at a predetermined position through a simplified operation without any adverse effect of an error in dimension of the window glass.
In order to achieve the above object, there is provided a mounting assembly for a first ornamental molding for covering over a gap between the periphery of a vehicle window glass and a window frame of a vehicle body. The assembly comprises a second molding independent of the first molding and integrally fixed to and along the periphery of the window glass, and a molding clip for holding the first molding. The molding clip is fixed to the second molding upon a molding process of the second molding. The molding clip includes a body portion defining therein a space for receiving an engagement portion of the first molding, an engagement pawl disposed on the inside of the body portion and adapted to engage with the engagement portion of the first molding, and a flange formed on the outside of the body portion and enclosed in the second molding so as to fix the molding clip to the second molding. The molding clip is adapted to be positioned in the gap between the periphery of the window glass and the window frame of the vehicle body by placing the window glass on the window frame. The first molding is mounted on the vehicle body by inserting the engagement portion of the first molding into the body portion to bring the engagement portion into engagement with the engagement pawl.
In this manner, the molding clip is fixed to the second molding integrally fixed to the periphery of the window glass. This makes it possible to eliminate the operation for setting the molding clip on the periphery of the window glass so as to provide simplified mounting operation. Further, the molding clip is never displaced from a predetermined position, and thereby the first molding serving as an ornamental molding can be fastened at an appropriate position. In addition, the molding clip is fixed to the second molding in conjunction of the molding process of the second molding. Thus, the molding clip can be firmly fixed at an accurately controlled position, which provides enhanced positioning accuracy of the first molding.
In the molding mounting assembly of the present invention, the flange of the molding clip may be formed entirely along the circumference of the body portion, and the whole of the circumference of the flange may be entirely enclosed in the second molding. This allows the molding clip to be more securely fixed to the second molding.
The engagement pawl of the molding clip may be resiliently coupled with the body portion through an resilient arm, so that the engagement pawl is resiliently supported. In this case, a portion of the flange may be opposed to the rear side of the front end of the engagement pawl, and the distance between the portion of the flange and the rear side of the front end of the engagement pawl may be arranged to allow the engagement portion of the first molding to be assuredly engaged with the engagement pawl when the engagement portion is inserted into the body portion. This makes it possible to reduce the height of molding clip (the length of molding clip in the thickness direction of the window glass) without degrading the function of the engagement pawl.
The second molding may be provided entirely along the periphery of the window glass, and a plurality of the second moldings may be fixed at predetermined positions of the second molding, respectively, with leaving a certain distance therebetween. This provides more secure fixation of the first molding.
The space formed in the body portion of the molding clip may have a rectangular shape elongated in the longitudinal direction of the first molding, and the space may have a width in the longitudinal direction greater than the width of the engagement portion of the first molding, so that the first molding is attached to the molding clip to be shiftable in the longitudinal direction. This structure allows the displacement between the engagement pawl and the engagement portion.
On the other hand, the space formed in the body portion of the molding clip may have a rectangular shape elongated in the longitudinal direction of the first molding, and the space may have a width in the longitudinal direction substantially equal to the width of the engagement portion of the first molding, so that the first molding is positioned to the molding clip without displacement. This structure can define a reference position.
The molding clip may be insert-molded and integrally fixed to the second molding while the second molding is injection-molded onto the periphery of the window glass. In this case, since the molding clip is placed in an injection molding die, the molding clip can be fixed accurately at a predetermined position without any adverse effect of variations in dimensional accuracy of the window glass.
Further, according to the present invention, there is provided a molding clip for fastening a first ornamental molding to cover over a gap between the periphery of a vehicle window glass and a window frame of a vehicle body. The molding clip comprises a body portion fixed to a second molding which is independent of the first molding and is integrally fixed to and along the periphery of the window glass. The body portion is fixed to the second molding upon a molding process of the second molding. The body portion defines therein a space for receiving an engagement portion of the first molding. The molding clip further comprises an engagement pawl disposed on the inside of the body portion and adapted to engage with the engagement portion of the first molding, and a flange formed on the outside of the body portion and enclosed in the second molding. The first molding is mounted on the vehicle body by inserting the engagement portion of the first molding into the body portion to bring the engagement portion into engagement with the engagement pawl.
This molding clip also makes it possible to eliminate the operation for setting the molding clip on the periphery of the window glass so as to provide simplified mounting operation. Further, the molding clip is never displaced from a predetermined position, and thereby the first molding serving as an ornamental molding can be fastened at an appropriate position. The molding clip can also be firmly fixed to the second molding while keeping enhanced positioning accuracy of the first molding.
In this molding clip, the flange may be formed entirely along the circumference of the body portion, and the whole of the circumference of the flange may be entirely enclosed in the second molding, so that the molding clip is more securely fixed to the second molding.
The engagement pawl may be resiliently coupled with the body portion through an resilient arm, so that the engagement pawl is resiliently supported. In this case, a portion of the flange may be opposed to the rear side of the front end of the engagement pawl, and the distance between the portion of the flange and the rear side of the front end of the engagement pawl may be arranged to allow the engagement portion of the first molding to be assuredly engaged with the engagement pawl when the engagement portion is inserted into the body portion. This makes it possible to reduce the height of molding clip (the length of molding clip in the thickness direction of the window glass) without degrading the function of the engagement pawl.
The space formed in the body portion may have a rectangular shape elongated in the longitudinal direction of the first molding, and the space may have a width in the longitudinal direction greater than the width of the engagement portion of the first molding, so that the first molding is attached to the molding clip to be shiftable in the longitudinal direction. This structure can absorb the difference between the respective positions of the engagement pawl and the engagement portion.
On the other hand, the space formed in the body portion may have a rectangular shape elongated in the longitudinal direction of the first molding, and the space may have a width in the longitudinal direction substantially equal to the width of the engagement portion of the first molding, so that the first molding is positioned to the molding clip without displacement. This structure can position the first molding without any displacement in the longitudinal direction to define a reference position.